READ International began as a concept back in 2004, founded by a group of student friends at university with a vision to change the world. A gap year experience had left this group of students so shocked by the lack of resources in Tanzanian schools that they were compelled to do something about it.

So, these students went about contacting their local secondary schools and collecting books. In the first year (2004/5) they collected 40,000 books which they sorted according to strict criteria (only good quality, relevant books allowed). In summer 2005 they sent 25,000 books to 20 schools in Tanzania, financing the entire process themselves. In summer 2006 they did the same – 25,000 more textbooks sent to a further 20 schools in Tanzania.

It made so much sense that the students couldn’t let it go. They registered as a charity - READ International - and so our work began. 

The book project has gone from strength to strength with more and more universities coming on board each year.

We now have 45 Book Projects across the UK, two of which include our first Scottish and Welsh Book Projects.

Since 2003 we have shipped over 850,000 books to Tanzania and 29,000 to Uganda, and are currently supporting the renovation of dozens of school libraries so that access to these books is improved. We have also sent several tonnes of sports kits, science equipment, and school stationery. In Tanzania and Uganda we work closely with the Ministry of Education to ensure that our books go to where they are most needed. Our work in UK schools has also developed. We now deliver a workshop programme called Think Global to secondary schools, in partnership with Oxfam GB to raise awareness of global citizenship to UK school children.

We have successfully established some very exciting new partnerships: Big Yellow Self Storage, British Airways, Latham and Watkins, DHL, Waterstones, KPMG, Staples and the British Library (see the Thank You page for details).

Since registering as a charity we have had our hard work recognised in a number of ways. READ International was winner of Best New Charity in the Charity Times Awards 2007 and Winner of Best International Aid and Development Charity in 2010. 

We were finalists in the Corporate Partnership of the Year in the Charity Times 2009 for our work with Big Yellow Self Storage and were shortlisted for Guardian's Charity of the Year in 2009.

Our doors will always be open to collaborative, student-led projects that take on educational problems. If a potential project fits our criteria, if it can work within our values, and if it is realisable, then we will provide the support necessary to implement action.